Cool Down Your House This Summer With Radiant Barrier Insulation
As Orange County summers bring on more heat, you may be thinking about ways to keep your home cool. What can you do to bring down temperatures, preserve your air conditioning unit, and reduce energy costs? It all starts with maximizing your home insulation.
Your home is like a capsule and that is impacted by the elements. To combat this, home insulation can be a barrier from weather extremes, keeping your home comfortable. In addition to fiberglass roll type insulation, homeowners can choose blown-in or spray foam insulation, which allows you to insulate hard to reach areas and seal cracks and crevices more effectively. The latter has a longer life, reduces moisture, and protects from pests. Other times, you’ll need the addition of a radiant barrier to serve as a reflective insulation, radiating heat away from your home and ensuring your home can be kept cool.
What is radiant barrier foil?
Radiant barrier attic insulation is a type of insulation which reflects heat and cold and helps prevent it from being absorbed by the roof. The radiant barrier, or bubble foil, is typically made of metal foil or plastic film. This reflective foil is designed to be installed on the interior side of the roof sheathing or exterior side of the wall sheathing. Since the sun makes a roof hot, reflective insulation will radiate heat away from the home rather than allowing the heat to be absorbed into the home.
To maximize its effectiveness, it needs to be installed higher up, reducing the opportunity for dust to settle. While useful, reflective foil installers will also couple this with spray foam or fiber insulation so that there are several layers of insulation keeping radiant heat from entering the home. It is noted that radiant barriers are better for homes in hotter climates, than in areas where colder temperatures require a thermal barrier.
How much does it cost to install a radiant barrier?
The cost of radiant barrier attic insulation varies depending on the type of installation. The price can also vary depending on the length and width of the space to be insulated, if any custom framing is needed, and if any additional materials are needed besides the insulation. When compared to energy savings, any costs you incur will be minimal with the durability and effectiveness of the foil insulation and the projected 5% to 10% savings on cooling costs and up to 40% on heating costs. Additionally, by preventing air conditioning systems from working too hard in especially hot climates, a radiant barrier can reduce the need for costly HVAC repairs or replacement.
How to install radiant barrier insulation?
While many homeowners choose to purchase bubble foil and install this radiant insulation themselves, to make sure it’s done right with the best possible product, it’s best to rely on a radiant barrier insulation installer. This will make sure the installation is installed correctly and in all the right spaces to get the most benefit.
Radiant barriers are an efficient and cost-effective way to keep your house cool in the summer. It is a good idea to install reflective insulation this summer to keep your home comfortable and reduce cooling costs in Orange County’s hot climate. For help with your installation, please give us a call today.
